As you walk through rows of boxes and volunteers, you’ll likely spot Judy Torres Lynch, Greater Philadelphia Salvation Army advisory board member, and a bright smile under a festive Christmas sweater. She’s helped coordinate hundreds of volunteers at the Salvation Army for more than a decade.<\/p>\n
“This is a very Spanish neighborhood,” Torres Lynch said proudly. “I grew up here. This is why I come back all the time.”<\/p>\n
Fifteen years ago, Torres Lynch and her husband “adopted” a family at Christmas, sparking a tradition of giving that’s only grown. Today, she helps lead the local toy drive alongside CBS Philadelphia’s Jim Donovan and Ukee Washington, filling those recognizable red-and-white toy boxes each year.<\/p>\n
This season, the need is greater than ever.<\/p>\n
The Salvation Army expects to help more than 750 families, representing over 1,600 children. Each child receives two toys, but donations are coming in slower than usual.<\/p>\n
The most requested item? A bike.<\/p>\n
“Fifty percent of the kids on their list, guess what they want? A bike,” Torres Lynch said.<\/p>\n
Last year, she and her husband donated a dozen bikes themselves, but shelves are still sparse.<\/p>\n
“Every kid deserves to be a kid,” she said. “They’re just like you and I, they just want to have a better life for their kids.”<\/p>\n
Before the gymnasium fills with tables, toys, and volunteers, Torres Lynch looks over stacks of paperwork \u2014 a reminder that behind every list is a real family, many living below the poverty line.<\/p>\n
“We’re just helping them a little bit so they’ll have something for Christmas,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n